The Palin Predicament

With so much hoopla going on right now in the presidential race, one has to stop and wonder what John McCain was thinking when he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. It really isn't that big of a mystery. He was angling to pick up Hilary Clinton's newly disenfranchised supporters. Only by picking Palin, McCain showed that he was completely out of touch with what was going on in the minds of the public, and he also showed some extreme bad judgement with his selection.

Already lampooned on top rated series' all across the country, Sarah Palin is proving herself to be the liability that she truly is to the McCain campaign and the GOP itself. She can't give a decent interview and she couldn't give Joe Biden a run for his money in the one and only Vice Presidential debate of the whole 2008 race either. She is unquestionably a rookie in the ranks she is now occupying and the heavyweights all around her are people she cannot possibly keep up with. The Alaskan Governor might be a nice person with a respectable looking family, but she is not ready for the rigors of a life in Washington.

One thing that keeps me constantly scratching my head these days is the question of whether or not McCain's people actually checked her out before they chose her. Over the weekend, I was astounded when I read a blog entry from my friend Barry Eisler, in which he pointed out that Todd Palin was a member of the Alaska Independence Party and that Sarah herself faithfully attended its conventions with him. The founder of this movement has been quoted at these conventions as saying: "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government... And I won't be buried under their damn flag... I'm not an American... I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

The woman McCain has chosen as his running mate attends conventions where propaganda like this is openly spoken? Huh?

If you'd like to read Barry's entire blog, you can find it here. It's aptly titled Why Do The Palins Hate America? Barry is a stand-up guy who doesn't speak unless he knows what he's talking about. His Heart Of The Matter page is one of the most successful blogs on the internet. I read him regularly and highly recommend him.

But back to what I was talking about. Sarah Palin is the most cumbersome weight around the sinking McCain campaign. She is completely unready to assume the second most important job in the nation and the McCain camps knows it, too. Why else would they be shielding her from the press in the manner they have since they first introduced her to the world? She gives speeches which are so well rehearsed that you can see in her eyes how hard she's trying to remember what was written for her. She also looks like she's praying she doesn't screw up too. I almost feel sorry for her whenI see her on television looking so like Bambi caught in the headlights.

In the past week, Barack Obama has pulled well ahead of McCain in the polls and is now the frontrunner in the presidential race. The GOP is responding by doing what it does best, too. What all Republicans do best. They're resorting to "say anything" politics and attacking Obama in every way they can. They're taking remarks he's made and presenting them completely out of context. They're using his voting record in the Senate by conveniently failing to tell the full story behind the bills he voted for and against. They're out for blood right now because they're finally beginning to realize that they just might lose next month. What a shock this must be for them!

Sarah Palin is right onboard this train as well. She's been on TV in coverages of the appearances she's made over the weekend, once again spewing words that were written for her and even her expression betrays her discomfort in the role she has taken upon herself. How can this woman possibly step into a president's shoes if McCain did win the Presidency and then something happened to render him unable to complete his term? She lacks charisma. She lacks a visible conviction to what she's preaching. She even lacks a believable platform on which to base her political views. She is way out of her league, and both she and her party know it.

In light of the new evidence pertaining to Sarah and Todd Palin's attendance of the Alaska Independence Party's conventions, she should be very careful about what she has to say where Obama is concerned. She could quite easily get herself, and her entire party, discredited beyond repair. I remember seeing her in a television spot with a journalist where she stated that she thinks Obama is now regretting not asking Hilary Clinton to be his running mate.

I have to wonder if John McCain is now regretting asking her to be his.

And that is my Sole Focus for the moment.